Universal Logic announced today a new version of its signature Neocortex artificial intelligence product designed for do-it-yourself engineers. Neocortex DIY software allows engineers to configure and deploy AI-based robot cells for variable picking

Greg Nichols for ZDNet: The reason is that programming a robot is no easy task, which presents challenges when it comes to deployment. That's particularly true of small- and mid-sized businesses, which are unlikely to have a qualified roboticist onboard.

Darrell Etherington for TechCrunch: Acutronic was set up in 2016, and offers a way to allow components combine in new robotics systems easily with ready-made compliance with industry and commercial standards for easy deployment.

Jason Maderer for Georgia Tech: Researchers can write their own computer programs, upload them, then get the results as the Georgia Tech machines carry out the commands. They also receive video evidence and data of the experiment.

Greg Nichols for ZDNet: Vincross, a Beijing-based robotics company, today announced a small programmable robot called HEXA. The new bot runs on MIND, an operating system built on the Linux kernel and optimized for robotics.

Evan Ackerman for IEEE Spectrum: In NASA's Space Robotics Challenge, participants had to command a virtual Valkyrie robot to perform a series of repair tasks in a simulated Mars base hit by a dust storm.

Erico Guizzo for IEEE Spectrum: Weve seen how, over the last several years, open source software-platforms like the Robot Operating System (ROS), Gazebo, and OpenCV, among others-has played a huge role in helping researchers and companies build robots better and faster. Can the same thing happen with robot hardware?

Rethink Robotics announced Intera® 5, a first-of-its-kind software platform that connects everything from a single robot controller, extending the smart, flexible power of Rethink Robotics' Sawyer™ to the entire work cell and simplifying automation with unparalleled ease of deployment.
Built on the backbone of the industry's best train-by-demonstration software that powers the world's fastest-to-deploy robots, Intera 5 is paving the way for connected manufacturing environments and helping companies build factories of the future. Intera 5 fundamentally changes the need for integration, making it substantially easier and more affordable, allowing manufacturers to deploy full work cell automation in a matter of hours, not weeks.
Intera 5 is much more than the latest version of Rethink Robotics' software; it's a new way to approach automation that allows manufacturers to control the robots, orchestrate the work cell and collect data. Full Press Release:

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